- Hyundai’s RN24 packs Ioniq 5 electrical motors and never a lot bodywork.
- It has a rally-inspired chassis, a brief wheelbase and a bunch of audio system.
Keep in mind when carmakers used to do stuff only for the enjoyable of it? Nicely, Hyundai of all manufacturers–you realize, the South Korean identify that was related to budged econoboxes just like the Accent–is rising to the event and cranking up the craziness dial to 11 within the electrical automobile world.
The Ioniq 5 N is already broadly acknowledged as among the best, if not the most effective efficiency EV on the planet, after which there are outlandish tasks just like the N Imaginative and prescient 74–a hydrogen-powered two-door sportscar that may supposedly go into manufacturing quickly–and the Ioniq 6-based RN22e.
However that’s apparently not sufficient for Hyundai, so the logical subsequent step is to make a mission automobile only for enjoyable. That’s what the brand new RN24 appears to be. It’s extra of a roll cage on wheels than a whole automobile, which simply provides to its enchantment.
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Hyundai
Revealed throughout this 12 months’s N Day, the Hyundai RN24 is powered by the identical dual-motor powertrain because the Ioniq 5 N. It additionally has the identical 84-kilowatt-hour battery pack because the road-going crossover, solely barely repackaged to permit for a 13.3-inch shorter wheelbase. The automaker says the motorsport-capable energy electronics system can ship as much as 650 horsepower, which is quite a bit for a automobile that weighs just below 4,200 kilos.
That low weight is attributed to the World Rally Championship-inspired chassis, which is paired with a WRC-style suspension setup with rally-spec dampers and high-rigidity subframes. All in all, the RN24 is roughly the identical measurement as Hyundai’s i20 rally automobile, which is categorized as a subcompact hatchback.
The entrance and rear LED lights appear lifted straight from the lately revealed Inster metropolis EV. The 19-inch matte black cast wheels are lifted from the Elantra N and the spoiler is identical as Hyundai Motorsport’s Touring Automotive Racing (TCR) fashions, whereas the gussets had been 3D-printed for rigidity and weight discount.
Protecting with the rally theme, the RN24 has a Rally Mode that mimics the i20 N rally automobile’s motor torque management. When engaged, the electrical exoskeleton can optimize the distribution of torque to all 4 wheels, which sounds quite a bit like one other means of claiming, “You’ll be able to drift higher and simpler.” The truth that it has one thing known as an e-Handbrake additionally helps–it makes use of the rear electrical motors to lock up the wheels as an alternative of a separate hydraulic braking system to scale back weight.
What’s extra, Hyundai’s new “rolling lab” has a bunch of exterior audio system that pump out “an immersive soundtrack.” There’s the identical Energetic Sound+ system as on the Ioniq 5 N, augmented by an additional set of aspect audio system and a rear fender design that acts as a soundbox.
Probably the most spectacular truth in regards to the RN24, nonetheless, is likely to be that Hyundai will use it to develop tech for future series-production EVs. “Hyundai N isn’t just a model however a illustration of our dedication to innovation and excessive efficiency,” mentioned Manfred Harrer, Govt Vice President and Head of the Genesis and Efficiency Improvement Tech Unit. “RN24 is a testomony to our daring ambitions for the long run.” That sounds promising, to say the least.
